Love, Curly |M.J.|

Chapter 1

Thank you for reading my story!!
I've rewritten the chapters sooo many times and I'm still iffy on them. So, please feel free to give me feedback! :)

PART ONE

chapter one:

"Jadie, come here!" My mother yells. "Yes ma'am!" I respond, closing my favorite novel, The Phantom of the Opera, and setting it on the window seat. I rush down the stairs.

I make my way into the kitchen to see her icing cupcakes. "Is it someone's birthday?" I ask, sitting at the bar.

She sets down one of the many frosted cupcakes. "The new neighbors moved in next door!" She says clapping excitedly. "Really? Finally." I start to grab a cupcake but she swats my hand away. "Don't touch those. They aren't for you."

I huff and cross my arms. She walks over to a cabinet to get out a container and comes back. "I called you here to take the cupcakes to the new house and to introduce yourself." I've lost countless hours of sleep because of the construction next to my room.

"Do I have to? Why can't you?" I say. All she does is put her hands on her hips and gives me a look as if saying, 'because I said so.'

"Fine, fine, I'll go." I surrender while getting up. she hands me the container and walks me to the front door. "Be nice Jadie, I know how you can be." I roll my eyes and slip on a pair of shoes, "Okay mom."

I make my way across the yard. I get to the newly made porch and stop. "That was my exercise for this summer." I say quietly to myself, somewhat out of breath.

I hear someone singing as I near the door to knock. The person stops singing and I hear shuffling. The front door opens and a tall boy appears.

I tilt my head and look at the stranger. "Hello?" He looks down at me and then to the cupcakes, smiling. "Uh, hi. I'm one of your neighbors," I say as I point to my house, next door. He glances to the left of me.

"Oh! I live here now. Well- obviously." He rambles while giggling. I laugh, "I'm Jadelyn, but you can call me Jadie."

I shift the container onto my left hand, bringing my right one up to shake his hand.

"I'm Michael."

He brings his hand up and does a little 'secret' handshake. Like ten year old kids practicing their secret handshake to officially be best friends. He watches my face for a reaction. He cheekily smiles, "Sorry, regular handshakes are too formal."  He looks pleasantly surprised when I laughed, "Understandable, they are too formal."

"Michael, honey, who is at the door?" A soft woman's voice is heard as she comes between him and the door frame. She places a delicate hand on Michael's shoulder.

Michael turns to look at the lady before answering her. "This is Jadie, our neighbor to the left of us." She looks at me and smiles.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Katherine, his mama." She pulls me into a hug. It's more of a side hug because of the container of cupcakes in my arm.

Katherine releases me and the wooden boards creak as I shift my feet. I remember the cupcakes. "I have cupcakes for y'all, my mom made them." I extend the container towards them.

"I love cupcakes!" He reaches out to grab them but Katherine lightly smacks his shoulder, "where are your manners, son!" I giggle at their bickering.

"Sorry, mama," Michael gives a shy smile.

"Thank you, darling! I'm sure they taste wonderful." I hand Katherine the container and she disappears somewhere into the house.

"Do you want to come in?" He opens the door wider, revealing the large foyer.